ust and
stable government in their insular possessions, and in increasing their
productivity, than they are in improving the moral, mental, and
material condition of the natives.

* * * * *

Lying squarely in the middle of Java are the _Vorstenlanden_, "the
Lands of the Princes"--Soerakarta and Djokjakarta--the most curious, as
they are the most picturesque, states in the entire Insulinde. But,
because in their form of government and the lives and customs of their
inhabitants they are so vastly different from the other portions of
the island, I feel that they are deserving of a chapter to themselves
and hence shall omit any account of them here.

* * * * *

Bandoeng, the prosperous and extremely up-to-date capital of the
Preanger Regencies, is the fifth largest city in Java, being exceeded
in population only by Batavia, Surabaya, Surakarta and Samarang. The
city, which is the healthiest and most modern in Java, stands in the
middle of a great plain, 2300 feet above the sea, having, therefore, a
delightful all-the-year-round climate. It has excellent electric
lighting, water and sanitary systems, miles of well-paved and shaded
streets, and many beautiful residences--the finest I saw in
Malaysia--set in the midst of charming gardens. It is planned to remove
the seat of government from Batavia to Bandoeng in the not far distant
future and the handsome buildings which will eventually house the
various departments are rapidly nearing completion. When they are
completed Bandoeng will be one of the finest, if not the finest
colonial capital in the world. But, attractive though the city is, it
holds nothing of particular interest to the casual visitor unless it be
the quinine factory. This company seems likely to succeed in cornering
the supply of Javanese cinchona bark and is fast building up a world
market for its product. The cinchona tree, from which the bark is
obtained, was first introduced from South America in the middle of the
last century and is now widely grown throughout the Preanger Regencies,
both by the government and by private planters. After six or seven
years the tree is sufficiently matured for the removal of its bark,
which, after being carefully dried, sorted, and baled, is shipped to
the factory in Bandoeng, where it is manufactured into the quinine of
commerce. The process of manufacture is a secret one, which explains,
though it does not